spirituality

Over the past 30 years, organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and HappyCow.net were at the forefront of the burgeoning vegetarian/vegan movement. Also, people like Dr. Llaila Afrika, Queen Afua and Dr. Aris Latham were responsible for successfully intersecting science, nutrition and food. The aforementioned persons and organizations were influential in my health & wellness journey. Fortunately, I was taught (trained) to take initiative for self-education.

During the formative years, I observed several trends in my community. One major trend is excessive weight gain after the age of 40 years. Another trend was the endless use of/dependency upon pharmaceutics. I made a vow to myself that I would not develop “old man gut” or “dhal belly”. Also, I had become intrigued with the research for comparative analyses between western and eastern cultures, as it related to eating habits and behaviours towards natural medicines/herbs. The results were astounding. In eastern societies, meat is not a regular or focal point of meals. Furthermore, these societies have a great dependency on natural remedies to periodic and chronic illness. The western societies made meat the focal point of a meal and was consumed frequently. When dealing with illness, westerners generally had a heavy reliance upon the expertise of doctors.

As I was exiting my teen years to become a 20-year old, I made the commitment to natural lifestyle. Throughout the years, I have done various fasts, detoxifications and specialized eating. The effects have been astounding. Direct experience warrants a sense of mastery and right knowledge. With that being said, let’s explore the new surge of vegans in modern society. It is wonderful to see more and more taking control of their health. I remember keenly on how lonely it was for me as a young, cultured Afrikan male practicing a vegan diet. Many people did not grasp the full extent on the reasoning of abstaining from meat and animal product consumption. I remained steadfast in my personal conviction.

Alongside my vegan trek were others. I appreciated the “company on the road”. Yet, I still felt alone. I began to observe the change in eating habits were not approached holistically. Either the individuals were adopting an unrealistic, new age-type “happiness” or character within elevating consciousness were not taking place. The newly transitioned believed that they had to “preach” to everyone about the benefits of veganism/plant-based food intake. Then, there were the people who made the transition six (6) months prior and positioned themselves as the expert. Sadly, this has become so prevalent in vegan and alternative health circles.

First and foremost, you (your body) came to the conclusion that a vegan food intake is best. This may not be suitable for everyone else. As a holistic health practitioner, I have always approached persons in casual and formal settings in a nonjudgmental manner. I present myself as an informed person that wants others to optimize health. I NEVER tell or suggest that one becomes vegan, especially when I am speaking in public forums. There are stories, for whichever reason(s), of persons that transitioned into vegan eating habits and became physically sick or lost interest in maintaining the food/lifestyle discipline. It is okay. We make our choices. We reap the consequences, good or bad. Who likes to be preached/talked to, as if you are stupid and clueless? Who enjoys being made feeling for making perceived bad choices, based upon your current level of awareness? If you don’t like it, don’t do it to others!

Newly transitioned vegans (three years or less) should really humble themselves to listen to the “inner voice”. That is the most perfect voice to listen and take heed! The newfound enthusiasm is wonderful. But, enthusiasm and joy don’t make one an expert or the self-appointed poster child for the plant-based, ethical lifestyle of veganism. This becomes indicative of one’s lack of personal development. It falls in line with society’s current obsession with celebrity status and fame. The need to purport yourself as the best/only living example as expert is not the point of being healthy. Let the masses encourage the “building of the platform” for positive benefit to humanity. The great thing is one can develop a viable career out of health & wellness.

During my stint as a student of Hebrew culture/history, I had the honor of meeting elder persons that had practiced a natural and healthy lifestyle for several decades. The beautiful thing is none of the persons had to make any proclamations. The results were very apparent. The beautiful energy, glowing skin, healthy body frames, clear thinking, pleasant dispositions and bright eyes were the cultivated advertisements of veganism. Consequently, the general public became intrigued. Quick story: on Thanksgiving Day 2016, a raw vegan friend and I had gone to a local vegan restaurant in Lower East Side of Manhattan. During our meal, a gentleman arrived and took his seat. Being an energy healing artiste, I immediately felt the pulse of his spiritual energy. I was very intrigued and drawn to the gentleman. I knew I had to engage. So, I did. Conversation ensued and a “secret” was revealed. He stated that he was eighty (80) years of age. No one would have guessed. In that moment, I realized that all of the years of discipline I practiced can result in a delayed aging process.

In pursuit of galactic happiness, I acquiesced that continual discipline makes the best students of life. . Again, veganism benefits in many areas. From the human body to environment to animals to energy industry, it serves a great purpose. We must examine the motivation/motivating factors behind our decisions. Another “not-so-good” thing I have observed is the need for constant consumption of “veganized” comfort foods….on a regular basis! There is an alarming rise in overweight vegans. The positives of vegan food industry is the availability of a variety and the ability to be a creative culinary artist. The negatives are the overabundance of highly-processed, fortified-nutrient foods and unhealthy options. Vegan “comfort foods” are okay on occasion. But, chili cheese triple- decker seitan burgers with a side of fries a few times a week will definitely put on the bulk. Consuming bulky foods causes strain on the digestive tract. It may not be as treacherous as its animal carcass counterpart called beef. Yet, it is still a lot of work . Before we set up the pulpit and preach at our family and friends, let’s make certain that we look/are the part.

The morals of the blog post are consider all things before taking action in advocacy, true discipline speaks for itself and be the walking advertisement for the benefits of vegan living. Take care and be the best!

As an artiste and human being, I have always had a strong desire to explore this portion of life on planet Earth (and beyond). I guess this makes me free-spirited, right?! Yes, it does and I LOVE IT!

Many of my movements and decisions for life have been questioned by those surrounding me. These persons assumed that there was no thorough thought put into making certain big decisions. I am rarely an impulsive person. Historically, I have been the type to plan and organize, then, make the “grand announcement”.

During some of the exploratory voyages, I decided to study certain religions/schools of thought. I believe learned and gained a deeper understanding about my life and life in general. Also, I appreciated the sense and structure of a communal/familial setting. Those aspects were uplifting. Life is a spectrum of balance. So, there were negative aspects. The most distressing was insincerity.

It is amazing how the community of persons “love” you when you appear to be a good student or devout. When you reach the point of awakening and realization that you have outgrown the organization, then you have leadership/members begin to question your sincerity. Once you officially part ways, there a few, if any, that will contact you out of genuine concern.

In actuality, we are evolving beings. No matter where you land in life, you will have to ascend or descend. Stagnancy is not an option. The morals of the story are that true living is developing organic, genuine connection with others and life is evolutionary. Let’s move along!!!

‘E’/I have always been a socially-observant person. Throughout the years, the observations have caused a myriad of reactions internally. It ranges from happiness to contemplation to inspiration to perplexity to nausea to thoughts of reversible provisional suicide. The main audience of my observations are people of the Afrikan Diaspora. My movements as a so-called Pan Afrikanist would dictate such behaviour.

One of the main behaviours that I have witnessed, indirectly and directly, is the action of disrespect. It manifests as name calling, lack of extension of certain courtesies, negative body language, unwillingness to share, unwillingness to engage in constructive communication and devaluing members of the group in which one belongs. Sad, sad, sad! I am always mindful of brevity and conciseness in my writings. The goal is to hit the points and the supportive readers continue personal enlightenment on subject-matter.

Introspection is mandatory for personal development. One wrong reaction can cost you your freedom or life. Introspection and honest analysis ensure an increase in self-worth. The hurt and pain that many Black people are feeling today manifest as terrible abuses and violence. Words can be just as, if not more, violent as punching or kicking someone. Many of us are left with deeper impressions of hurtful words that were spewed. Usually, the physical strikes heal properly with no sign of existing. An extreme that has become a phenomenon in the Black community is death at the hands of someone you know. Heated arguments, impulse, emotional triggers and low self-value have lead to many murders. Wholly, it becomes a two-sided issue. The perpetrator has little to no self-value and the victim has little to no self-value.

The onslaught of social media outlets and websites like WorldStarHipHop.com, TMZ, CNN, BET, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram have made it more convenient to observe the self-hatred and gross disrespect of Black people towards one another. It is called “entertainment” now. So, it moved from civic responsibility to pure entertainment. Instead of assisting the person(s) that is being physically struck, it is more fun to film the incident. In some instances, at least the “cameraman/woman” encourages the person winning the fight to stop or ask if the one losing is okay. SMH I am perturbed by the level of ignorance and complete apathy towards human life and wellness. About a year ago, I made the conscious decision to not view any fight videos where Black people are fighting each other. Honestly, it is very hurtful to view. I feel the pain as an observer of persons who haven’t embraced self-love. I do understand that self-love could be involvement in a fight to protect self or loved one.

The youth of today are bombarded with systemic racism, multitude of destructive propaganda, poor selection of food products/foods, broken homes and lack of sufficient parental/adult guidance. The most popular way of dealing with the demands of modern life is self-medication. A big part of youth culture is the consumption of alcohol and synthetic drugs. The glorification is psychological mediation of justifying the use of harmful substances. Anyone that knows ‘E’ know I am an advocate of youth development. In many ways, my empathic nature goes into overdrive. The pressures are real and overwhelming. The eyes of the youth’s souls scream “I want discipline!” But, it is rarely offered out of compassion, genuine concern, civic responsibility and pure love.

We are born with a conscience connected to the soul of man. It governs what is perceived as “right” and “wrong”. There is NO immunity for anyone that does not have extensive mental underdevelopment. This includes the youth. We are responsible for our actions (unless there is a lack of true cognizance in the given moment). At a certain point in time, abusing your wonderfully made machine called a ‘human body’ is inexcusable. Yes, Black people suffer deeply in the United States of America (this nation being the primary focus for this post). The list of abuses are innumerable. Yet, our heritage encourages us to call on those who have lived and transitioned from planet Earth. They are referred to “ancestors” or “angels”. Regrettably, the severe disconnect from our ancestral and cultural lineages have made this a foreign concept. Furthermore, our brains must employ unbiased, multifaceted cognitive processing for concise examination of the nuances within the challenges we face.

It is understood that long-term stress and tension cause many undesired results. It ranges from neurological unease, physical disease, social ineptness, interrupted sleep patterns and many other things. In order for the “disregarded” group to learn how to regard the others of same said group, you must think before you speak/act. The cause of blatant disrespectful actions and behaviours is directly linked to compounded stress and tension offered by modern society. The act of projection is not the best way to deal. Help can be sought in discussion groups, physical activities (sports), involvement in reflective verbal and situational (hypothetical) exercise, listening to one’s self as you speak and asking how one feels after engagement in communications with you. Be mindful. Place yourself in the recipient’s place. If you have a “ah ha” moment, then great. Your conscience is still alive and there is hope for personal reform. If you have a genuine “I don’t care” response internally, then more support is needed. We should never reach the point where we genuinely don’t care about someone. I know this is a difficult feat, especially when you live in an urban center like New York City. I have become jaded a few times in my adult life. But, I realized that I had to put in the hard work of freeing myself from jadedness. Now, I have acquired even greater respect for others and Black community at-large.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the disconnect of older and younger generations. I believe it is painfully apparent. In the latest post at Easpoet’s Blog, I will not delve into that topic. But, I would like to share personal experiences that serve as supporting evidence of the tragic nature of a non-communicative community of souls.

I have worked with youth in varying capacities, throughout the years. One of the many things I enjoy in the line of “work” (actually, I see it as a responsibility) is the level of honesty within children. Yesterday, I was fulfilling my duties as volunteer at a local Brooklyn nonprofit. A fellow volunteer suggested that the male child work with me. He refused. Then, a female child interjected by saying “I don’t wanna work with him either. He scares me! His voice is too deep!” That moment alone sparked deep thoughts surrounding the embrace, or the lack thereof, of organic masculinity.

Unfortunately, yesterday’s sentiments were not the first time I’ve encountered a great uneasiness from children. From late teens until present times, my face has carried a significant amount of facial hair. Generally, small children under 5 would be alarmed by seeing facial hair on a man. Strange, huh?! I have realized that a cultural norm in USA is shaving. It is an activity I have despised and disturbs my skin health (an ongoing problem for men of deep color). USA’s “culture” strongly discourages facial hair in many segments of society. Within the last three years, a man sporting a beard has been an expression “okay’d” by the dictates of fashion trending. Is this move ‘organic’ or ‘inorganic’, though?

Now, I will delve into entertainment for a moment. Let us take a moment to reflect on the most popular male entertainers from the preceding sixty (60) years. Names like James Brown, Chuck Berry, Michael Jackson, Prince, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, John Lennon should have come to mind. All were/are considered groundbreaking artistes for different reasons. Allow your mind to see where I am going with this. The common denominator is each entertainer had an overt feminine presence/presentation. You may wonder why Marvin Gaye’s name appeared. He was included for the same reasons as Michael Jackson, Prince and John Lennon. These men had higher than normal singing voices. The recording industry discovered a way to neutralize or cancel any overt masculine expressions within these men. Please know that the assessment is not a personal attack on any of these men. Unfortunately, they were products of manipulation of money-worshiping record executives. Each man had millions of female fanatics. Do women actually appreciate organic masculinity?

Prince

I continue to use United States of America as prime cultural example for a reason. This nation’s influence in the world has been incredible. In my opinion, it is not a good thing. Many people global emulate the latest American cultural exports. I would say the cultural import responsible for this is european societal norms. As one may flip through photographs and paintings of men from greco-roman, british, pre-medieval, medieval and modern times, it becomes quite difficult to make a distinction between a male and female. According to my knowledge, this is very intentional. Again, I am not attacking european culture, per se. I am providing my understanding of a lack of traits deemed masculine. The misconstrued history books that many of us have read states that european settlers (British, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch) founded the new land to become known globally as ‘United States of America’. So….there you have it! The revelation has come on the reason why european culture has such prevalence in USA. ( a little humor, I hope.)

As this post scoffed at the current trend of big beards among men, there is another component that thinks positively. I am happy with the fact that men are allowing the natural growth of facial and body hairs. In opposition to, I do find it appalling that the crazed, psychotic fashion committee of the world has to give its “stamp of approval”. Come on, men! Allow testosterone and hormones do its biological/physiological duties.

In conclusion, I am full support of the new age movements that have been happening globally/cosmically. The influx of corrective, healing and balancing energies on planet Earth are most necessary for the continuation of life. I am certain that EVERYONE is feeling and observing the differences in life’s requirements. Masculinity, as it once was known in USA, was drenched in discrimination, privilege, imbalance, flared ego, misogyny, disrespect, dogma and lack of spirituality. Now, masculinity must balance and be a full understanding with proper use and application of feminine energies. Once the balance is in place with each individual, then fear shall subside.

I know…I know…it is shocking! I am posting TWO blogs in one day. For this, I must.

First, I would like to announce that I have deactivated ‘E as Poetlove Water’ Facebook page. It proved to be time/energy consuming, a gauge of the insincerity within general public and not the best tool for marketing my creations (books, jewelry). Now, here is the true purpose of the latest blog.

Clearly, many police officers in the United States of America are abusing their positions. There seems to be an institutionally-ingrained disrespect of Black lives. More and more of these young men and women are dying from bullets shot from a gun (in some cases, guns) of police officers. NO ONE is beyond reproach! Here are some simple lessons in life:

Life is a continuum.

Karma / Law of Return exists.

When someone “dies”, there is always the option to return to planet Earth to fulfill a mission.

DNA carries memories.

We are an extension of our family and friends. Retaliation may come upon a loved one for our irresponsible or cruel acts of violence.

Guns are man-made. The machine is subject to failure.

Spiritual power supercede physical power

For those police officers who do not follow procedure because of triggerhappiness, repercussions will follow. Condolences of strength and prosperity to family and friends of wrongfully-slain Black youth in USA! Justice (Ma’at) will be served!!!

Manifestations of developments seem easier to conjure in the mind than to actualize. Ideas are wonderful toys to employ the brain’s synapses and neurons. When does the individual decide to share a completed thought with the world? Is it just enough to produce bright ideas? In the latest blog post, I invite to take the journey of exploration of popular and current ideas of living and possible ways of ideas manifest.

For attuned beings, the happenings in today’s times is not a shock at all. The meticulously planned intention for social destruction has been a long time in the making. Interestingly enough, the forces responsible for our destruction have been giving clues since the early 1900’s through media outlet and social/human services. Hollywood films drop endless amount of clues. But the idea is presented as “for entertainment only”. One great example would be the 1977 Academy Award-winning film, “Network”. There was monologue after monologue after monologue explaining to current and forthcoming generations about the power of media. Yet, “it was just a great film!” I promise you that (majority of) people enjoy being willfully ignorant and hate assuming responsibility. Albeit, the aforementioned example was based on an evil idea/deed. But, it drives the point of the latest blog post. The idea was employed and it materialized.

The idea of sex, sexuality and cultural norms is as old as River Nile. It is approached with this sense of revolutionary insight on creation. Sex is sex. The idea of sex is generally expressed between two consenting adults. Whatever they do, they do. It is not the outside world’s business. A person’s sexual desires, contemplation and/or expressions through behavior is solely owned by that individual. In modern-day American society, there is a rampant and invasive idea that anyone can ask of another’s sexual activities. The answer must be given freely and truthfully, especially if you are a person of notoriety/celebrity status. Who thought of that idea? Supporting E as Poetlove Water’s or Idris Elba’s creative offerings do not grant permission for all access into our daily lives! In turn, members of modern society should embrace the idea of respect and decency. The notion of healthy sexual lives is equated to a liberty in expression to the world-at-large. I disagree with the “world-at-large”. For anyone that knows me, descriptive words like ‘free-spirited’, ‘mindful’ and ‘responsible in action’ paint an accurate picture. So, again, the prevalent idea of sex and sexuality in modern society is based on idea of recklessness, false freedom and lacking accountability.

Sex, in the mind and processes of myself, is an intimate exchange of physical, intellectual and/or spiritual energies from one being to another being. Conversely, I will only focus on hueman beings. I have the idea to express my sexuality in a cultural and organic manner. I have been in love with people that I know and do not know on a personal level. Usually, it is a trait or gift that they possess that I strongly admire. It ranges from talent to body parts to way of expressing one’s soul. Subsequently, the love is expressed in a variety of ways. In all honesty, I rarely share those thoughts and feelings with the individual. Nonetheless, the love exists. When I do share, it is in the form of a compliment or recognition. Various females and males have been the object of my love. Does this mean that I am also sexually attracted? Not necessarily. But, I have a deep running admiration for the countless heavily melanin-expressed persons on planet Earth. I would love to share intimate space with many. Yet, there is an uncertainty that I have the time and energy to do so. Sure, I have had sex with a small portion of those beings in my mind. Then, reality forces me to weigh the pros and cons of pursuing in 3rd dimension sexual expression. My personal preference would be soulful-spiritual sexual intimacy. Again, this runs as my idea.

While swimming through the sea of wonderful ideas, my brain takes a pause to observe the outside world. Since the inception of social media via the Internet in the mid-to-late 1990’s, Earth citizens have been afforded opportunities to express ideals around personal preference and sexuality. It ranges from the discreet and spiritual to the wide open (no pun intended) and too Root chakra-ish (lol). As the years passed, more and more people were able to express the deepest and most intimate ideas of their respective lives. As PC/laptop cameras and camera phones became popular purchases in early 2000’s and beyond, these persons’ ideas became the plot of homemade videos and picture collections. Then, the sex tape revolution was in full effect. From celebrities to our next door neighbors, we got voyeuristic insight to learn about their ideas of sex/sexuality expressed before our eyes. Such viewing can titillate. Yet, is it necessary? Have lives been enhanced by viewing the recorded escapades?

The new view on personhood is that nothing should be private. Does that makes sense? Another example is listening to Power 105.1 ‘The Breakfast Club’ Morning show on occasion. It has been stated by an unnamed DJ on that show “people really want to know about you. They feel like they have the right to know all that they want to know about you (the artist/entertainer) because they buy your [uninserted expletive]. The images that dominate social media at selfies of butt shots, crotch shots, cleavage shots and nudity shots. Could this be a scream for freedom? Over the last 2500 years or so, most of the world have been under the dictates of religion. The most dominant were/are: Judaism (and Zionism, the political /economic extension), Islam and Christianity. All have imbalanced and unrealistic approaches to sexuality. Most project a sense of purity, restraint and suppression. Yet, more and more people are coming out of the “religious and psuedo-spiritual closets” to express their ideas around sex and sexuality. People seem to want to go to a place in living where freedom to be is number 1 priority. Whether this is being naked, having consensual relations in hetero/bi/homosexual situations or sharing their mentality towards persons of one’s desire, the societal shift is present. From this point on, how will I express my ideas around sex, sexuality and cultural norms? How will you? It is for me to decide and you to observe.